Stoke Punk Fest Update

If you want to stay up to date with what is going on with the Stoke Punk Fest, they have created an account on Myspace with all the news and info you may need. Just click here. Obviousely, you'll be able to find about the most important updates on my blog as well.

Never Mind The Sex Pistols

he World's No1 Sex Pistols tribute show band, The Sex Pistols Experience is coming to Crewe next month. You can see Johnny Rotter, Kid Vicious, Paul Crook and Steve Bones live on the 17th of April at the Limelight. The tickets are £9. But that's not all. The band will also be playing at the Queens in Stoke soon, on the 4th of June and on the 11th of July as well.

Stoke on Trent Punk Fest

13 punk bands, including Resistance 77, Impact and Section 5, are going to be playing at Stoke's Punk Fest at Tommy Cheadles in Burslem, on the 25th of July. The tickets are going to be £13. Sounds really good, lets just wait for some more details.

Wasted Life better than Ever

Wasted Life gave a brilliant performance at the Bennetts pub in Cobridge on Sunday the 15th. The band played a set of classic punk songs mixed with their own compositions.

Wasted Life is a band I have seen at many occassions. It is not only because they are one of the most active local acts, constantly playing around the Stoke on Trent area. The reason for which a numerous group of regulars, including me, attends almost every single show the band puts on is that it is always sure to be a truely good performance. In addition, the group members make a real effort so that each show is different than the previous ones. So was the gig they played last Sunday, being at the same time probably the best one of them I have witnessed.

The 2-hour set started off with one of a few ska songs Wasted Life usually performs, during which the group’s lead singer Stumpy did an impressive trumpet solo. After the energetic beginning, the band carried on with the more punk rock part of the show, covering a song of the legendary London oi group Cock Sparrer. The gig continued as the band provided the audience with their own versions of tracks originally done by the ones like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Sham 69 or the Buzzcocks. 

Near the end of the gig, Stumpy went off the stage leaving the microphone to the band’s talented guitarist and backing vocalist C.J., as the group performed “Nuns Overtaking”, a song off Up the Ranks’ repertoire, for which C.J.’s the lead singer. The band then played a few songs of their own and finished the show by doing another cover version, this time of a song from Section 5, who Wasted Life shared the stage with last month. However, as the audience strongly demanded them to carry on playing, the group served Cock Sparrer’s “England Belongs To Me” for an encore, bringing the truely great performance to an end.

Gig Update: Anti-Flag

Anti-Flag, an American hardcore punk band, is playing at the Sugarmill on Saturday, the 7th of March at 7pm. The tickets are £10.00. 

Edit: The show, as well as the whole European tour, was cancelled due to the lead singer's injury.

Message to Rudy

When there are no punk gigs taking place around, it’s time to enjoy a bit of ska. For example the Skalinskis, who played just a few days ago, namely on the 28th of February, at the White Star in Stoke.

Personally, I can’t say I make much of a ska music fan, but I have to admit the band did a really good job. The show was exactly what a decent ska gig should be, with the level of energy generated exceeding the EU norms, making quite a few members of the audience unable to resist dancing. And only some of them were drunk.

Skalinskis finished the set with a cover of the classic “Message To You Rudy”, which I simply couldn’t get out of my head for a few days after.  So to put it at its simplest, it was a really good night.

Ffforget Valentines

What’s the biggest event around in February? Looking at the shops windows displays, which get absolutely overloaded with plastic red roses, big fluffy plush hearts and almost unbearably cute teddy bears saying “I (heart) You”, it’s just got to be Valentine’s day, right? Wrong. 

For all of you punk music lovers the biggest thing around in February should have been the Section 5 gig at the Red Lion, which took place on the 13th giving you a healthy alternative to the celebration of that boring commercial holiday.

The first band to hit the stage though was the Wasted Life. The group was simply great, as they always are, serving to the audience a loud and energetic mix of their own songs and cover versions of those originally done by bands like Cock Sparrer or Sham 69.

As the time came for the main band, Section 5 did just what they do best, which was to show they still have got something to say in punk rock after all those years. The set the band played was pure oldschool punk rock, simple and brilliantly filthy.

If you were not there, you missed a damn good show. No need to worry, Wasted Life will be playing in Stoke at plenty of occasions, check the band’s myspace, the next gig is on the 15 of March at Bennets. You’ll have to wait longer for Section 5 though.